New iOS 18.4 Update Introduces 'Improve Location Accuracy' Setting for Enhanced Privacy Control

New Location Services Privacy Setting in iOS 18.4 The recent release of iOS 18.4 introduces a new setting under 'Location Services' called 'Improve Location Accuracy.' This feature allows users to contribute to Apple's crowd-sourced database of Wi-Fi hotspot and mobile phone mast locations, which is used to enhance the precision and speed of location services. The data contributed by users is sent to Apple in an anonymized and encrypted form, ensuring user privacy.

What It Does

• Location Data Contribution: When enabled, your iPhone will periodically send geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and mobile phone masts to Apple.
• Anonymity and Encryption: The data is anonymized and encrypted, minimizing privacy risks.
• Opt-Out Option: Users can turn off this setting if they do not wish to participate in the data collection.

Where to Find It

Users can access this setting by navigating to:

• Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Location Services -> System Services -> Product Improvement Section

Impact on Users

Turning off 'Improve Location Accuracy' does not affect your device's ability to use the crowd-sourced database; it only prevents your device from contributing data.